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Woodbridge flooding just won't quit

Rob Johnson, pnj.com 12 p.m. CDT July 22, 2014

The Woodbridge subdivision continues to flood during heavy rains from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, is in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

The Woodbridge subdivision continues to flood during heavy rains from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, are in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

Woodbridge subdivision residents Ron Bansemer, left, and Chris Loring talk about needed drainage plans for the neighborhood the alleviate runoff from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, are in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

The Woodbridge subdivision continues to flood after heavy rain runoff from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, are in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

Woodbridge subdivision residents Ron Bansemer, left, and Chris Loring talk about needed drainage plans for the neighborhood the alleviate runoff from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, are in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

Woodbridge subdivision residents Ron Bansemer, left, and Chris Loring talk about needed drainage plans for the neighborhood the aleviate runoff from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, are in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

Woodbridge subdivision resident Ron Bansemer stands next to what he calls the neighborhood corn crop that was a result of April's flood. He said the plants sprung up after seeds washed down the hill with flood water. (Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

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The Woodbridge subdivision continues to flood during heavy rains from a neighboring apartment complex. Contractor for the complex, Wells &Wells, are in the process of building a concrete wall to replace the brick wall that gave way in April's flood.(Photo: Ben Twingley / btwingley@pnj.com)

Flooding in the Woodbridge subdivision of Pensacola continues nearly three months after the April 29-30 torrential rains, and the resulting mudslides have piled up long enough on some lawns to sprout tall stalks of milo, a grain similar in appearance to corn.

"This just goes on and on. The storm drains are backing up and no one does anything about it," said Ron Bansemer, a Woodbridge resident, whose house was among the 10 that endured flooding on April 29-30 after the protective wall for a retention pond collapsed.

Although the more recent flooding, more of which occurred during the past weekend, isn't bringing water into the $200,000 to $300,000 houses, it's dumping mud from a nearby apartment complex construction site down a steep hill to coat Bridgewood Drive and some yards.

Meanwhile, Randy Spear, the attorney for Illinois-based Wells & Wells, contractor on the neighboring College Vue apartments, is gradually settling some homeowners' damage claims, he confirmed.

Spear told the News Journal on Monday that a new wall for the retention pond is under construction. Unlike the one that failed in April, the new barrier will be reinforced with steel, he said. In addition, the retention pond is being deepened and more drainage provided.

Spear said he expects all that work to be finished by mid-August, weather permitting.

Progress on the project is under scrutiny from Donald Mayo, director of the Escambia County building inspections department, following numerous complaints about continued flooding from Woodbridge residents.

"We were inundated with emails after the weekend rain event," Mayo told the News Journal on Monday. "We'll certainly keep on top of it."

While the work on the retention pond continues, Mayo said, he has directed the contractor to put more protective bales of hay in place and to plant sod "the minute they can" to reduce mud flow.

College Vue, a 165-unit apartment complex, is intended mainly for students of the University of West Florida. But the project isn't on university property, and the school isn't affiliated with it.

Better flood protection can't come soon enough for Woodbridge residents, some of whom have abandoned their damaged homes. Richard Thayer, a retired Marine Corps aviator who has remained in his house, was preparing to sell it when the flooding hit.

Although he has accepted a damages settlement with Wells & Wells for an amount he declined to disclose, Thayer said he hasn't yet put his house back on the market.

"I probably can't until this community is cleaned up," he said.

Besides, he fears more flooding could cause more damage or at least discourage prospective buyers.

"If we have a hard rain for 15 minutes it blows out the manhole cover in the street near my house, and I am betting someone will drive into that opening soon."

Woodbridge residents' greatest concern, they said, is that a hurricane or tropical storm will hit Pensacola before the retention pond overhaul is complete.

"One minor tropical depression will get us all again," he said.

The residents find some humor in the stalks of milo that have sprouted from the mud left in their yards.